Knockdown box



Dec. 2,1958 v v v.1. R. SOMAVIA 2,862,640

KNOCKDOWN BOX Filed Jan. 26, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .f/GL/ i: 11-} i H vio o o o o 0 o ii 23 /4 |7. I L k \ls l/ 24 I2 42 INVENTOR.

JOSE RAMON SOMAV/A 4 r i'ORNEVS J. R. somAvlA Dec. 2, 1958 KNOCKDOWN BOX5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1956 f/CLS INVENTOR.

JOSE RAMON SOMAV/A BY 71 5,, +7

ATTORNEYS Dec. 2, 1958 Filed Jan. 25, 1956 J. R. SOMAVlA KNOCKDOWN BOX 3Sheet-Sheet s INVENTOR. JOSE RAMON SOMAV /A- BY abul-M I A TTORNEYSUnited States Patent 2,862,640 KNooKoowN Box Jos Ramon Somavia,Hollister, Califl, assignor to The Plastabox Corporation, a corporationof California pplication January 26, 1956, Serial No. 561,537

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-4) This invention relates to knockdown boxesparticularly adapted to serve as lug boxes of the type commonly used inagriculture in the handling of fruits and vegetables. While designedprimarily to serve the stated purpose, the principles of the inventionare well adapted to the construction of'boxes for many other and varieduses.

Lug boxes, as they are well and familiarly known in agriculture, areopen topped containers usually made of the softer woods, such as pine,and employed in the transportation and storage of fruits from theorchards and groves and vegetables from the fields to the packing shedsor canneries, as the case may be. Such boxes are generally of a sizepermitting convenient manual handling when loaded and susceptible tostacking for mass handling with conventional equipment. To withstandsuch usage the boxes are generally constructed in rather stout fashion,

with especially heavy bottoms and ends but thinner sides, nailedtogether.

The wooden lug box, however, has many drawbacks. Included among these isexcess weight, inability to stand up under the roughness of use, and therelatively high costs of initial construction and repair during thenormal life of the box. Moreover, the acids of the fruits and vegetableshandled therein attack the nails and cause loosening of the componentwood panels of the box and render them unfit for normal use. Added tothese there is the not inconsiderable cost of replacement of boxesmisappropriated for uses other than their intended purpose, such as forfirewood.

The present invention has for its objects the provision of a relativelylightweight lug box made of plastic materials, in which the parts areprovided with integral connector means whereby assembly and repair isgreatly facilitated. At the same time, it is an object of the inventionto produce box parts susceptible of mass and hence low cost production,with complete interchangeability of parts, for ready assembly or repairat remote points, wholly without the aid of construction equipment ortools.

These and other objects of the invention will be made more apparent asthis specification proceeds and the novelty thereof will be particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming'a part hereof, wherein a pre-' ferred embodimentof the invention is shown:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the knockdown box;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the assembled box;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure3;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 55 ofFigure 3; 1

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure1;

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure2;

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the relations-hip andinterfitof the parts of the box, and

ice

panels of the box with particular reference. to an alternative in thecharacter of the ventilation apertures in the same.

In the make-up of a box embodying the present invention a bottom panel10, having the characteristics shown to best advantage 'in Figure 8, isemployed. This member is generally in the form of a shallow tray, withraised end portions 11, within which are fashioned the mortises 12, andhaving flanges 13 and 14 extending longitudinally thereof at its twosides. Flange 13 is spaced inwardly from an edge of bottom 10 Whereasflange 14 is flush with the opposite edge thereof, for reasons that willbecome apparent in the description of the assembly of the box.

The mortises 12 have the cross-sectional characteristics shown to bestadvantage in Figure 2, in which a narrow slot 17 communicates with arelatively wider channel 18 formed inside the raised end portions 11 ofthe bottom panel 10. As will be seen in Figure'8, the mortises 12 extendsubstantially the width of the bottompanel 10, being open at one edgethereof and closed off, by obstructions as at 19, short of the oppositeedge of panel 10. Thus the mortise 12, the end panels may be usedinterchangeably at the respective ends of the box and still beinterfitted flush with the side edges of bottom panel 10.

In order to adequately brace the thus interfitted end and bottom panels,complemental bevels 23 and'24 are provided on the bottoms of theopposite end portions of panels 21 and the outer top edges of the raisedends of panel 10,'respectively, as shown to best advantage in Figures 2and 8. The end panels 21 are additionally characterized by the fact thata crown or relatively wide shoulder 28 is fashioned on their upper ends,and braced by suitable webs 29, to facilitate stacking of the boxes, oneupon the other. 7

The side panels 33 are each adapted for interchangeable use inconnection with the above described bottom and end panels 10 and 21,respectively. Thus at each of their respective ends tenons 34 are formedfor sliding engagement with the vertically disposed mortises 35fashioned in the ends of the end panels 21, in the make-up of the rigiddovetail joints illustrated in Figures 1 and 5.

In order to keep the overall dimensions of the assembled boxes withincertain predetermined limits and thus meet accepted shippingspecifications, as well as to'rdispose the joints well within theoutermargins or surfaces Figure 9 shows a fragmentary view of one of theside of the box to withstand the rough uses to which the boxes aresubjected, the side panels 33 have theirv tenons 34 disposedinside-their main plane surfaces. Thus the'ends of the principal area 36of panels 33 are turned inwardly on the angle 37 and continue thence ona plane paralleling the surface 36 into the tenons 34.

For like considerations of dimensioning, the side walls or panels 33 areof considerably less height than the end panels 21, to the end that'thecrowns or shoulders 28 of the ends 21 will be the parts exposed to takethe stress and strain of the stacking of the boxes. Also the uppercorners of the end panels-21 are cut away, as at 40, to reduce thelength of the mortises 35 equal to the length of the tenons 34 and thebottom ends of the side panels 33 and the tenons 34 are notched or cutaway, as at 41, to fit over the raised ends 11 of bottom 10.Additionally, a skirt 42 is defined at the bottoms of the side panels 33for engagement with the side flanges 13 and 14, as will presently bedisclosed.

Good practice requires that the box be well ventilated and drained andto that end the several panels thereof are each provided with theapertures 43. Alternatively, the panels may be'provided with a series ofstaggered slots 44 (see Figure 9), but for considerations of strength,spaced circular openings are deemed preferable.

.Finger grips 45 are provided in the outer surfaces of the end panels21, adjacent the crowns 28, through the expedient of forming acorresponding inwardly projecting bulge 46 in the panel wall (seeFigures 4 and 5).

As will be appreciated from study of Figure 8 of the drawings, the boxparts may be readily assembled or knocked down for use or storage orrepair, respectively. In assembling the parts, the tenons 22 of the endpanels 21.are inserted in the mortises 12 of bottom It) and movedinwardly until they strike the closed ends 19, which will put the endsof the panels 21 flush with the side edges of the bottom'lt). The sidepanels 33 are next fitted by inserting the tenons 34 thereof in themortises 35 of the end panels 21. In this operation the outwardlyprojecting portion 36 of one of the side panels 33 is dropped outsidethe flange 13 of bottom whereas the opposite side panel is disposedinside the flange 14 (see Figure 6), to thus serve as a locking device,preventing accidental lateral movement of the end panels 21 with respectto the bottom panel 10.

To prevent accidental disengagement of the side panels 33 from endpanels 21 any conventional latching device may be employed. In thepreferred embodiment the form of latch chosen is a detent, as shown inFigure 7. A bore 50, in the end of the crown 28 of end panels 21,accommodates a cylindrical member 51 within which there is disposed aspring 52 normally urging a plug 53 outwardly against a restrictedopening in member 51, through which the reduced portion or pin 54 ofplug 53 projects. It will thus be seen that pins 54 normally lie in thepath of the top edges of side panels 33 when the latter are engaged withthe end panels. (See Figures 1 and 2.) Such a device permits of easyintentional disengagement of members, since it is only necessary thatthe detent pins 54 be depressed sufficiently to raise an edge of theside panels past them and they will remain depressed until completeseparation of the members has occurred. Once the side panels 33 havebeen disengaged, the end panels may be freely moved out of engagementwith the bottom, to complete the knocking down of the box.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing and the device illustrated inthe drawings, the disassembled parts of the box lend themselves to readyand relatively fiat stacking, for economy in storage and shipment. Thisis also a decided advantage over the conventional lug boxes permanentlyassembled by nailing together the component wooden parts, since thelatter are bulky and present costly storage problems between seasons ofuse, especially in protecting them against the weather.

This invention contemplates that the several parts of the. box may bemade of any of a multitude of known plastic material, with dueconsideration fordurability and strength, as well as the most economicaland proven methods of fabrication. An added utility of the devices isthe fact that they may be made in various colors and include marks toreadily indicate their ownership.

The knockdown box forming the subject matter hereof may take variousother forms than the preferred form illustrated and described hereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and hence protectionis desired Within the full scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A knockdown open topped plastic box comprising a bottom panel havingupstanding reinforcing elements, a pair of alike end panels, and a pairof alike side panels, mortise and tenon connections between said bottompanel and said end panels comprising mortises formed in said upstandingreinforcement elements embodied in said bottom panel and tenon elementsterminating short of the sides of said end panels, and mortise and tenonconnections between said end panels and said side panels, and means forreleasably securing all of said panels together in assembled relationagainst accidental relative movement with respect to each other, saidmeans comprising: obstructions formed in one end of the mortises of theconnections between said bottom and end panels preventing horizontalshifting in one direction of the end and side panel assembly withrespect to said bottom panel; said end panels being further adapted torest upon the top of said reinforcement elements and be supportedthereby; at least one upwardly directed flange formed on said botttompanel adapted to be laterally engaged by one of said side panels toprevent horizontal shifting in the other direc tion of the end and sidepanel assembly with respect to said bottom panel; and means furtherinterconnecting said end and side panels adapted-to normally preventvertical shifting of said side panels with respect to said end panels,said means being yieldingly releasable to permit the removal of saidside panels from said box and thereby condition the remainder of saidbox for further and full knockdown.

2. A knockdown open topped box comprising a bottom panel having raisedend portions and side flanges one of which is spaced inwardly from anedge and the other of which is flush with the opposite edge of thebottom panel, said end portions having longitudinally extending mortisesformed therein, said mortises extending flush with a common side edge ofsaid bottom panel to provide entrances thereto and being closed at theiropposite ends at a point spaced from the edge of said bottom panel, apair of end panels each having a tenon formed at the bottom edge thereofspaced equidistant from the ends of said panels, said end panel tenonsbeing adapted to be inserted in the mortises in the bottom end portions,said end panels and said raised end portions of said bottom each havingcomplemental beveled surfaces adapted to be brought into contact whenthe respective tenons and mortises of these members are engaged, saidend panels each having vertically disposed mortises formed at theirrespective ends, a pair of side panels each having tenons formed attheir respective ends adapted to be inserted in the mortises in the endsof the end panels, said side panels having deendent skirts engaging theflanges on the bottom on the side preventing accidental disengagement ofthe end panels and said bottom, and means for latching the side panelsagainst accidental disengagement from said end panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS653,514 Kasschau July 10, 1900 972,038 Thayer Oct. 4, 1910 1,159,229Keith Nov. 2, 1915 1,257,571 Amick Feb. 26, 1918 1,403,233 Collins Jan.10, 1922 1,883,553 Chain Oct. 18, 1932 2,409,748 Folst Oct. 22, 19462,729,386 Haddad Jan. 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 505,293 Great Britain May9, 1939

